Call for ring-fenced funding for BAME

A group of leading creative figures has urged UK broadcasters to improve their representation of ethnic minorities. In an open letter sent to the heads of the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky, over 50 signatories including Lenny Henry, Idris Elba, Emma Thompson and Alan Bleasdale have called for ring-fenced money for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) programmes.

‘Ring-fencing money would not only guarantee results, but also create a more stable space for BAME talent on screen and behind the camera,’ the letter says, adding that ring-fenced funding is preferable to quotas as it is ‘about quality of programming, not quantity’. To read more commentary on the letter and to see the full text, visit the Guardianwebsite.